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“You did.” Miss Robinson rose, the baby cradled in her arms, a tear rolling down her cheek. “A beautiful baby boy.”

“A… a boy?” Frederick choked out. “You’re sure?”

“Very sure.”

He did not know what to do. A part of him wanted to fall onto his wife and hold her, to make sure she was alright, to confirm that nothing was the matter. But another part of him wanted to take the baby from Miss Robinson’s arms, to hold it, to see it for the first time. To let it know that from this day until its last, it would be loved.

“Frederick…” Hannah’s voice was weak. Her grip on his hand had loosened, and her skin was drenched with sweat and pale. “I want to see my child.”

Frederick smiled at her and then reached for the crying babe. Miss Robinson handed it to him, and he didn’t even try and stop himself from weeping as he looked upon his son for the first time. So small. So helpless. So damn beautiful that he could not stand it.

“Frederick…”

“Oh!” He dropped down quickly and handed the baby to Hannah.

Her arms shook from exhaustion, so he held the baby as she brought him to her chest.

“A boy…” Her eyes sparkled, and her smile split her face. “He is beautiful.”

“He is, isn’t he?” Frederick agreed as he sat down by his wife, one arm around her, his other stroking the baby lovingly.

What had Frederick been so worried about? It seemed absurd now that he had spent the last nine months living with such fear in his heart. Still convinced in some small way that this would be a repeat of last time and that once again his life would be torn asunder because of a decision he had made. But he need not have worried.

Hannah was not his last wife. She loved him as much today as she had nine months ago, and he knew that she would keep on loving him—maybe not as much as she did their son, but still more than enough for his satisfaction. And it was this love which gave her strength today, for Frederick should have known that there would have been no force on this earth great enough to separate her from her firstborn child.

Amelia and now a son… That day six years ago, as much as it had pained and wreaked havoc on Frederick’s life, now ought to be left where it had always been—in the past.

The future was what Frederick had to look forward to.

“Do we have a name picked out?” Miss Robinson asked.

“We do,” Hannah said. She looked up at Frederick and smiled, and he returned it. “James.”

“A beautiful name,” Miss Robinson crooned.

“A perfect name,” Frederick said. “For a perfect son.”

The End?